Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is two-way charging that lets an electric vehicle send electricity from its battery back into the grid. The car charges when power is cheap or plentiful and exports some of it at busy times, under limits the driver sets so there is always enough charge for the next journey.
V2G, V2H and V2X
| Term | Where the car’s electricity goes |
|---|---|
| Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) | Back onto the public network, where it can be sold or used for grid services |
| Vehicle-to-home (V2H) | Into the home only, to run the house in the evening or during a power cut |
| Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) | The umbrella term for all two-way uses |
All of them need three things: a car whose battery and charging system support two-way power flow, a bidirectional charger, and permission from the local distribution network operator to connect a device that can export.
Why it interests the grid
A typical car is parked most of the day, and an EV battery holds far more energy than a household uses in an evening. Millions of plugged-in cars could act like a large, spread-out battery, soaking up surplus wind and solar and helping to cover evening peaks. That could reduce the need for other storage and network upgrades.
Where it stands in the UK
The government’s V2X Innovation Programme, delivered by Innovate UK for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, funded research and small real-world demonstrations, with funded activity ending in March 2025. A small number of V2G tariffs and car, charger and tariff bundles are now on sale to households, but they work only with specific vehicle and charger combinations.
The main barriers are the limited number of compatible cars, the higher cost of bidirectional chargers compared with ordinary smart chargers, and questions over battery wear and warranties. Anyone considering V2G should check that their car maker’s warranty allows it and that the charger and tariff are compatible with their vehicle. This is general information, not financial advice.
Read more: Electric vehicles in the UK: where the switch stands in 2026.